Kia Sportage

After recently spending over $42K to purchase a Kia Sportage I was very bitterly disappointed to discover that a hardcopy version of the owners manual was not supplied! How ridiculous to expect customers to use their electronic devices to access important information needed when familiarising yourself with a new car! For instance waiting at… Read more

traffic lights and a warning light illuminates on the dash. You can't pick up your phone to determine what it means can you? I have incurred extra expense in having a hardcopy printed and bound for my own reference and had I known this fact prior to deciding between 2 differing cars I would have chosen the other vehicle and will probably not consider Kia for my next new car purchase.

The car could be great if the documentation was up to scratch. As stated elsewhere the owner’s manual only comes in an electronic pdf file. Information can only be found by scrolling through nearly 600 pages in a pdf document. If companies want to save a few dollars and maybe some trees they should at least make the document easy to manage using… Read more

hyperlinks. And while they are at it the electronic manual could be tailored to an individual car cutting out pages that don’t apply to a particular car.

Positive with exception to oversensitive crash avoidance system – Positives: I bought the car in late October and have covered over 10,500 kilometres. I am very happy with all aspects of the cars handling and dynamics. I live in Mount Gambier and the local roads are not in the best condition. But the Australian suspension engineers have given the vehicle the perfect blend of bump absorption and lack of body… Read more

roll. The ability to ride over rough surfaces and not shake the passengers around is exceptional.

On longer trips of 5 hours the seats are wide and comfortable and provide good support. The adaptive cruise control reduces the stress of driving markedly when approaching slower vehicles on the open road. Plus when going downhill it uses the brakes to keep the set speed, thus avoiding the chance of getting a speeding fine.

The automatic wipers work well and save stress when travelling in changing conditions, which normally would require many changes in wiper settings. This means the driver can concentrate on the road in trying conditions. The auto dimming headlights also work well, plus the headlights are excellent in penetration and clarity.

Negatives

The only negative is something common on many newer vehicles and is connected the the safety features. I almost got rear ended when I was approaching a turn right lane and the gap was smallish the car went into full emergency stop and also tried to steer right into the kerb. The only way to deactivate it was to apply throttle. The passenger was wondering what I was doing and was surprised when he found out it was the car acting independently. I had a car following and it almost rear ended me, when the car made an unexpected stop.

60,000 klm Update. The car has finally fully run in and the fuel economy over 7,000 klm has stabilized to 7.3 L/100. The car does not use any oil between services and is just reliable.

Amazing Car - Great Value – I own a Kia Sportage S since March 2023. I love the performance, the features and the convenience of owning this beautiful machine. Fuss-free drives, excellent value for money. I highly recommend it. Show details

Value for money, and a great drive! – Over 45000km in, and the Sportage is still comfortable, quiet, and going strong! -60km round trips to work 4 days a week -3 round trips from the NSW Hunter to Qld Gold Coast -Numerous trips to Sydney -Plenty of shopping centre trips It's not only easy to park, but also stable at freeway speeds. The Turbo Diesel also manages between 6.1 to 8lt per… Read more

100km, depending on the traffic. It's pretty rare to get over 7 on my commute though, which is nice. 700km per tank (50ishl refuel). The sunroof is an added bonus, and makes it feel lighter and more open, especially for my 6ft4 frame! Scheduled service comes in just under 12 months at my usage, and is every 15000km. Prices are fixed, and not too bad.

Overall, VERY happy with the purchase!

Edit: 2025 update, and it's still going strong. Some small issues with the USB disconnecting, which haven't been solved by a replacement stereo. Apart from that, some minor creaks over poor quality roads if nobody is in the back, and the occasional reverberation from the engineer bay when accelerating slowly up hills. All in all, drives and handles well, and fuel consumption is unchanged. Still happy!

Disappointing company – Purchased a new Kia. Was never told it does NOT come with a owners manual book. If you want one, you need to download over 560 pages. What a Joke ! If I would have known would not have purchased the car.

Kia Sportage 2024 Hybrid GT Line MAJOR FAILURE – Purchased new Kia Hybrid 2024 GT Automatic from Col Crawford Brookvale on the 25th March 2024 The car had not even done 2000km when after 3 months the car decided to jam on the brakes and stop under boom gate for over an hour. While this was happening the dash board was flashing all kinds of messages even when the car was turned off. I tried to… Read more

start the car but it would not allow me to engage gears it kept returning to neutral.I was on the phone to KIA roadside assist while this was happening but they could not assist.I took it to the dealer and they said there was nothing wrong. Next episode was exactly 3 months later in October when I tried to move the car forward after cleaning it. It went forward about a meter then the brakes slammed on, dash board going crazy, not allowing me to engage gears.After 1 hour while waiting for a tow the car decided to allow me to change gears but the car would not budge I put it into reverse and it moved then back into drive it moved but it made a loud grating noise ,back to reverse then back to drive it was OK.Col Crawford has had my car for 3 months and cant find the problem.They now want me to collect the unsafe car. KIA has been a disgrace .Do not get carried away by the 7 year warranty or their company statement .The problem has not been identified or rectified and they can not guarantee that it wont occur again. Maybe after someone is [Content Removed] they will take the problem seriously.The car is now 9 months old and I have had the use of it for only 6 of those months. This is not a one off problem .I have also noticed on the Product Review site a review by David who appears to have had the same problem with his car and KIA.I have been fortunate that the problem has not occurred at a roundabout or intersection.

The worst experience – Our car has been faulty for 18 months now and Kia Brendale are ignoring us. Thankful for lemon laws as we are tired of being ignored and having our car off the road for over 3 months total over a span of 18 months with the fault never being fixed! This company is by far the worst I’ve ever encountered. Brendale Kia are a repulsive company with… Read more

no customer service skills.

I ordered a brand new Kia Sportage GT line and received it with major faults. It took months for Kia to try and repair the issue. I’ve since asked for costs to be refunded due to loss of money due to the fault and Kia are doing a great job of avoiding and ignoring me.

I’ve had several parts replaced and swapped in my car and it’s still faulty. Kia have got no idea what the actual fault is and keep trying the same thing with no fix.

Would never buy a Kia again. Their customer service is appalling! Save yourself money and stress and don’t buy a Kia! Especially from Brendale Kia.

Installed wrong battery – Sub standard service. Wrong battery installed. Never going back to a Melbourne Kia service company. Show details

Kia Sportage QL SX 2019 Sparkling Silver – Good car: engine 2.0L is ok but needs more grunt. Not fuel efficient. 12-14L per 100km city driving on average. Paint work on door mirrors,sor handles, roof racks, rear spoiler delaminates in less than 3 yrs!. Same issue also with the headlights, oxidarion and flaking. Kia needs to get better parts manufacturer for their headlights and review… Read more

their painting process.

Interior is ok, more on the plastic side. Infotainment is excellent.

Great value car still but pls improve paint and headlights quality.

Braking needs improvememt. Not even close to Toyota, Mitsubishi, Mazda engineering.

Engine failure – I bought the car brand new. Booked it in December 2021 and, delivered in July 2022, no complaints about the wait time as it was clearly communicated before the contract was signed. There are some design issues that won't bother most people but worth noting down for those who might be interested: 1. The auto-hold was a bit jerky when driving… Read more

off. 2. On rainy days I noticed a lot of the water was retained on the body and drained only after being parked for a while. Causing a mini flood in the garage. 3. The rear door is not separated from the wheel hollow with a clear boundary on the body. Although this may look stylish it causes a lot of road dirt to be within the door panel. 4. The dct transmission has its quirks. The AT on the diesel might be more preferable to some. A test drive would help you decide.

None of the above bothered me or my family as everything else was nicely designed and implemented and it worked well...until it didn't.

After driving away from the dealership in Jul-2022, the car broke down in the middle of the road on Nov-2022, within 5 months of purchase. All the error/fault symbols on the vehicle's instrument cluster lit up, the car went into neutral automatically and the vehicle started slowing down and gradually came to a halt. I was luckily able to manoeuvre it into a side road before it automatically shut down. Attempts to start the car were unsuccessful.

Luckily since it was not on the freeway none of us were harmed. I was able to steer it into a side road and it came to a complete halt and wouldn't budge. Called Kia roadside assistance who could only help tow it to the nearest service centre. They didn't pay for the taxi back home.

Two days later, since the breakdown happened on a Saturday, still without a car, I was informed that the issue is a major one and there were no loan cars available. After multiple calls and emails, throughout the weekend and Monday, to the selling dealership, the service dealership and Kia Australia, I was loaned a smaller car - Seltos - with conditions attached. This was because my family was going through a very important phase of our life, I had to beg Kia and the dealership to arrange for a replacement car which they did. I had to rotate the replacement car for another one in two weeks and pay for damages (that I believe I didn't cause) on the Seltos.

I got my car back only after ~ a month with the engine replaced and some other work done. The drive was as great as I remembered it to be before the issue. Possibly smoother. But the car did give up on us at a very critical time in our life possibly putting us in harm's way if the circumstances were slightly different.

Very impressed - first Kia purchase – We've had a Kia Sportage NQ5 GT 1.6 Petrol since just after it was released in Australia and it has hardly missed a beat. Took it up to the North West of WA for a 4,000km+ trip and it was a pleasure to drive in. The smaller engine capacity was definitely improved by being a turbo. I don't get so many chances to drive it so much these days as it is… Read more

my wife's car of choice:(. There are way too many great features to mention here.

The lane following assist function can be a bit erratic but the smart cruise control is a great help on longer journeys. I would highly recommend it for someone after a mid-sized SUV.

Kia car – Hi it is 3 months that my cars control panel has damaged. I take it to Kia black burn Melbourne and they told me that they ordered a part and will call me after about 6 weeks. After six weeks they called me and I took my car there, and after one day ( without giving me a substitute car) they said:” it’s not received yet”! And it’s again 7 weeks that I am waiting!! I will sell it and never buy Kia again. It’s the second major defect It has had!

Love my Sportage – Bought this Sportage 2nd hand with 170,000 klm's on it, it had been well looked after & was in showroom condition, although not all the services had been carried out, as an ex mechanic I had a good look over it & could not fault it, so we bought it. It has now covered over 210,000 klm's & the only issue so far is the driver's window has stopped… Read more

working! I service the car myself & change oil & Filter every 10,000 klm's (I'm a car fanatic) & usually service the trans also, but in most of the newer vehicles, you cannot change the trans filter unless you remove the trans & strip it down!! so I just change the oil. This is my first SUV & first Kia, I purchased this after much research & reading that Kia is No 3 in the top 10 for reliability !!! I only use it on the road & usually no more than about 2 hrs driving one way ...So I am very happy with it... Cons, Bit heavy on petrol & I find interior trim difficult to remove, as i like to add extras to the car..

Never have I wanted to fight a car so much in my life! – Had this car as a loan car for a few days and I’ve never been so annoyed by a car so much in my life. How anyone could want to buy a car that is constantly beeping at you is beyond me. The lane assist is so annoying, any single time you move slightly not dead centre to the road the car beeps and pulls you back in. It feels like your constantly… Read more

fighting the steering to get the car to do what you want. Try to go around some dead ducks on the road and the car tries to yank me back in line while beeping at me. Try to avoid honkey nuts, it pulls you back and beeps. Driving around winding roads up in the hills and it’s beeping because your not doing it dead centre even though there is usually cyclist around the bends. Try to slide into a turning it beeps and tries to pull you back. You turn the car on and there is an annoyingly loud music start up then it instantly beeps at you to put your seatbelt on. Put the car in reverse in a car park and it sets of loud alarms about a collision warning because someone is driving past. I didn’t even have my foot off the break or the car moving! Is it going to sound a collision warning as you wait for every car to pass? You turn the car off and there’s loud sounds, then it beeps to check the back seat. Honestly whoever designed this car obviously does not have children. Try have a sleeping baby in the back with a car that beeps at you for EVERYTHING and makes pointless sounds and alarms every 5 minutes. THERE IS NO PEACE! I do not need a car telling me what to do every five seconds, if I could fight this car I would.

Awesome when new, disappointing as it aged – We bought the car new and have always looked after it well with all servicing performed on time and safety checks conducted weekly. This car was used as a family car for most of it's life, until my son adopted it earlier this year. Most driving was suburban and we averaged 16,000km a year. A few months ago the check engine light came on. Our… Read more

mechanic ran through the scenarios that could be reason for the warning light. (We were dismissive of his forecasts in the beginning, but as time has shown, he was 100% correct). We were not overly worried in the beginning, as it was a yellow light, and we thought it was an environmental warning ie poor fuel mix. The mechanic suggested we monitor the fuel consumption, and this was fine. Long story short, my son started to drive the car, so my close observation ceased. Over the ensuing months, the engine developed a 'knock'. And yes, the final diagnosis, is that the engine has died at 175,000 km, which is woefully less than expected. The car is now almost worthless, and to drive it is like playing Russian Roulette. I expected better. Many of the reviews I have read from other Sportage owners of this vintage (in Australia and overseas), seem to have experienced similar problems. So do NOT but a Sportage of this vintage, as a used car,. They look good, but what is lingering under the bonnet.

Neck ache - headrest – Bad neck ache -- as a result, dizziness -- due to headrest [head restrainer] protruding too far out. Sold the SUV in 3 months. Everything was fantastic, but just the headrest.

Amazing car, great value for money! – I've had my Kia Sportage GT-Line (diesel) for 8 months now and I absolutely love it! I previously owned premium vehicles and this was my first time buying a Kia. I just couldn't resist when I saw how amazing they looked inside and out, I was very drawn to the aesthetic appearance of the car and spent time doing my research on all the specs prior… Read more

to buying.

Other than its good looks, I love the quality of the finishes, it's spacious inside and a great family car with a generous boot! The fuel consumption is excellent and it drives and handles wonderfully both in the city and on highways. The technology is fantastic, everything is easy to navigate (the infotainment system is great)

Full size spare wheel is a bonus! Not to mention the standard features are what you'd expect in premium brands as extras which would cost 20k + to add on!

So far, no complaints and I'm very satisfied with the new Kia Sportage.

Done 70,000 kms and very happy so far – Purchased the car as a demo. It gets used all the time for commuting for work and interstate travel. I love the diesel which purrs along nicely. Had no issues whatsoever to date and have done 70,000 km since February 2020. The diesel motor and the six speed gear box are older technologies so I would expect them to be reliable. Update: it has now done 130,000 km and my comments above have not changed. Show details ·  1

Sportage transmission is suspect – I have owned my 2019 Kia sportage from new. It has travelled 34000 km and the CVT is already playing up. Kia suvs get these great reports but have plenty of issues that no one reports. Poor braking, cheap materials, CVT issues, rattles etc. You get what you pay for. My ASX that I traded in on the Kia was probably a better vehicle. Show details

Good Car but not perfect – Purchased brand new. Nice to drive comfortable with lots included for the price. There are a few things wrong. The sat nav played up which was covered by warranty but it had to back three times they eventually replaced the head unit but were very stubborn about it. The engine is undersized for the car if you drive on the open road. Engine is okay… Read more

driving around the city but its fuel consumption is very average. The boot is not that big if you have kids.

Kia sportage lemon – bought a kia sportage from wayn Philli kia the lemon dealers, suspension noise over bumps which they denied and issues with steering noise,seat had issue on bottom left on foam fabric is held on with plastic clip,carpet on drivers side is terrible with hole after 35000 kms dont be fooled by a kia dealer and you know who you are. Dodgy bros Kia motors also catch on fire had been I the news recently Show details

Great SUV with great economy – Use this car for daily commuting and general transport. Only had it 2 months but will have it serviced regularly. Only a short time but no issues with this vehicle. Show details

Almost perfect…but – Cruise control loses over 5ks before re-engaging after going down hill. Can be dangerous. Kia say it’s normal. I think not. As no other car I’ve had as never lost that amount of speed before re-engaging cruise. All other aspects of the car are exceptional. Apple car play is great. Service per log book. Good price for service. Wonderful to do… Read more

normal driving. Not an off road vehicle though. Good around town. Sits well on the highway at 110ks. Reasonable fuel consumption.

Excellent Car Powerful Economical Great Drive – Love this car 8 speed turbo diesel check out its power to weight .. Real grunt pulls my 5 metre boat like its not there. Great around town --pleasure to park --it can do it itself . Packed with all the good bits  Show details

Perfect family car – I use this car everyday and have done since our toddler was a baby. It fits a capsule really well with room to move still and plenty of boot space for a stroller and shopping. We get our yearly service and although it is part of a recent recall, we have found Kia to be very helpful. I would highly recommend to a family. So much so 2 of my friends now own one.  Show details

It’s dead – I have been placing regular 5 star reviews on Product Review fr my Sportage, up until now it has been the perfect car. Well it came to a sudden stop, cutting out at speed for no apparent reason. The car was inspected by a Kia dealership and metal particles were found in the sump pan. These particles had damaged the engine internals causing… Read more

critical failure. $21,000 quoted to replace the engine! I researched this car. Many overseas markets have this car on safety recall. A fault in manufacturing left metal particles in the engine from new. Over a period of time , many years, this can cause engine failure. Coincidence? The service I have received from [Name Removed], Kia Motors Australia, Customer Service Manager is absolutely appalling and at a level I believed was left behind in the 1980’s before car manufacturers understood the importance of customer satisfaction and retention. Kia told me that Australian bound vehicles were not faulty only overseas vehicles. Must be magic ! Via social media I have contacted several other owners with the same issues, Kia told me I’m the only one, they told Safety Recall and ACCC, mine is the only one. This in my opinion is a blatant lie. Overseas thousands of owners have been compensated for these faulty engines. It was judged that even owners with no service history would be compensated as even a fully dealer serviced car would fail. Servicing was no protection. All I got from Kia was , “Kia is taking no action in this case”... no explanation, no support, no condolences no nothing. I naturally requested my issue be escalated above the customer service manager but Tony told me he’s the top man and nothing goes above him. Absolute nonsense! So my perfect car is dead! I can accept that a 9 year old car with 150,000kms can give issues but it’s the way you are dismissed by the seller that cuts deep. Be very careful if you buy Kia and need assistance from head office... they are in a very different world to modern trading practices.

Sweet little fourby – 2005 model, 200000kms, bought for 5K AUD in Nov 2019. Ive had this for about 15 months. Great to drive, fits plenty in it. Can tow well, and the 4x4 has come in handy. I bought this thinking I would tart it up and flip it in 6 months but it is a bullet proof and fun to drive car. Is thirsty on the juice but worth it. Wish it had dual range 4 wheel… Read more

drive though. Had to replace all of the mounting/sway bushes, cost 1k at the mechanics. Not unreasonable for these to perish in a 15 year old car with 200k on it. I love it and will probably drive it until God calls it home one day.

Update 15/11/2022. Car going well. Have replaced one faulty part, the automatic gear selector inhibitor switch. This fault caused the car not to recognise it being in park, and would refuse to start until I rammed it through the gears a few times. $100 to buy the switch and $100 for the mechanic to fit it. Has 227000kms now. I found a receipt deep in the glovebox saying the car had a new crate engine at 95000kms. Spoke with the bloke who installed it to verify. I think the first owner must have broken the engine doing a lot of heavy towing, it has holes where a electric brake system likely was installed. It's not a great vehicle for towing, even with a loaded box trailer it revs really high and guzzles the juice. Great value for money so far.

Big Surprise – Recently purchased a 2011 Sportage Si 2 Lt SUV from a Dealer here in SA, after spending many months looking into all SUVs, reading customer & Motoring reviews, I was thinking of getting a Honda C-RV, however on test driving one I did not like it as my knees kept hitting the steering column...many of the reviews for the Sportage were not very good… Read more

so i was a bit hesitant to look at one, however I spoke to a number of owners in car parks & they all said what a great vehicle they were, some were on their 2nd Sportage !! anyway I came across one in a Dealers yard & went in to have a look, it was in excellent cond inside & out with hardly a mark anywhere even though it had 188,000 kms on the clock, we took it for a good test drive & fell in love with it right away as it drove beautifully, also the room/space in these cars is amazing... better than my BMW which I had just sold. So we bought it, I have done over 4000 kms on it now & still love it....One of the reasons I looked at this was it is a 2 Wheel Drive, so you don,t have all the problems associated with AWD or 4 WD (read reviews on all 4WDs) As a ex motor mechanic I know a bit about cars & am a car fanatic having owning 4 BMWs & 1 Mercedes, so getting this Sportage was a surprise for me, but I can't fault it .....Kia & Hyundai have come on a long way over the years & I believe they make good quality vehicles, however I have found the Dealers & Kia not at all helpful, when seeking information/parts......

A little bit of glamour for an SUV – I wanted to upgrade to a bigger car as I do alot of Freeway driving. This Kia Sportage doesn't disappoint..it feels like it glides as I drive it, the cruise control is new for me and NOW a must have. I bought it with a tank full so not yet had to top it up.. now on my 6th day and doing over 100ks a day it's lasting well. The look of this car… Read more

brings a bit of glamour to the SUV, I chose the red and Soo glad I did, it stands out and looks impressive.

I like the little touches, like the boot, it has a retractable screen so you can hide your gym bag in there or wine and chocolate ☺️

Also the entertainment console has a slight directional view to the right hand side making it easier for the driver to use. And I find the size is ideal to help follow the built-in Sat Nav.

It's very spacious in the front and back, lots of leg room and the rear seats decline a little to help with those long journeys.

I have the 7 year fixed price servicing, the first is at 3000ks, so a little way to go yet.

I'm still getting used to the controls, like aircon etc, it's taking me a little bit of patience to work it all out.